Faith is on her way to Minnesota...Get er done, Randy!
I want to take a moment to talk about these bows. I'm hoping Will Cocke will jump in with some more expansive comments, but there are two things I want folks to know about these bows: outstanding workmanship and mind-boggling ingenuity and dedication to the craft.
There's been references on this thread and the Black River pass around thread about the "hybrid" limbs on these bows. As you can see from photos included in earlier posts the limb profile when strung is quite unusual. In practice, the limbs are very fast for a long bow design and also quiet. But here's how those limbs get that performance:
This is a photo of the limb bases. That's 11 different laminations, not counting the cork limb pad where it meets the riser, and only Will can tell how many different materials.
Moving outboard on the limb, you can see how the wedge in the center tapers down..but doesn't disappear altogether.
That center lamination takes a very low-angle reverse taper in the final third of the limbs to the tips.
As you can see, the limbs at the tips have nine laminations, not counting the overlays, and four overlay layers.
The tips are really nice-looking , string easily.
When your not counting laminations and studying that double reverse taper, pondering how that gives the limbs their profile and performance, you can look at the stained spalted maple under a matte clear finish and see that these bows are mighty easy on the eyes as well.
So, my theory is that the sharp-eyed ( maybe not sharp-witted) toms in my neck of the woods were intimidated by Faith and that's why they kept a fence between us at all times.
Thanks for letting me spend some time roving the ridges with Faith during the prettiest month of the year in these mountains, and a huge shout out to Will Cocke at Black River Bows...handsomely done, indeed!